Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-08-20
CITY. AND DISTRICT.
HIS FAMILY OUT OF TOWN.
HoW = Clerk Enjoyed His FreeAos

cHAN0n WROUGHT BY TIE PASSAGE or TINE
TIE OLD BOYS GONE AND TEE TOWN DULL
As the hands Of the clock marked four Timothy
elogo Freeman closed the lid Of his desk with un
Usual sprightlinesa Then he made an effort II
shake the bags out OF his trousers knees, brushed
his hair high up on one side, gave q loose raktsh
hitch TO his coat tipped his hat one side, clap
ped his chief faninarly on the shoulder, and
staggered out OF the once, trying to remember
the long forgotten tune OF 1--WE Won't GO Home
TIL Morning" and other rollcking songs OF his
younger daya His fellow-clerks, who had sat In
the same ONCE with him for fifteen years, staid a
ful minute after ONCE hoars in their establishment
He was man of large family, and for Afteen
for es within growing
He always fingered reluctantly over his work,
and, with lasgfng steps, wended his way YEARLY
But this time, with a springy step and head
thrown high, he took course leading from his
home. He hurried
ALONG rHr AvHSr.
with the crowd until It got thin and scattering at
The farther enc Then he turned and rushed up
9TH street, mingling with the crowd and knocking
into the afternoon shoppers a, they hurried TO get
out Of the scorching sun with bundles ana parcels
OF various sizes and descriptions. With boyfsh
delight he stopped 10 look into the shop windows
around which the most people assembled. and
knew. He observed with a signincaut smile the
signs OF 'coO beer" in the red-curtained windows,
and nodded Familiarity 70 the pictures OF big kings
painted kegs as1f 70 give them 10 understand that
he hoped TO them later. He looked so smiling and
80 and IL 70
Oilers Of tickets to . sunday school excursion,
which made him grin wicledly, and became an
men with aQulllne vtsages and eyes to fresh Gus
TONERS for secondhand goods He cracked jokes
with the big policeman on the corner, winklng
and asking mysteriously about the 'bOys," and
making several incomprenensb illusions to ''rcd
paint"
But the sun was hot and the people all seemed
to be hurrying home. He would get in the swim
OF little knot Of people, only TO see them drop
on one by one until, IN few minutes, be was
like himself, and they had all gone home 70 The
bOsoms OF their famiiies-and to their d;nnere.
When he thought Of this be Laughed ana wnk ase
He walked up one street and down another, peePed
into the hotei l0bbtes and stopped On corners but
hot rays upon the asphalt be turned reluctantly
In the direction OF his home, with abatsd Spirits,
but . look OF premeditated mischief In bis eye.
HB EMPTY HoxR.
The shutters were drawn, the 'front.' door was
locked and there was q hot, stuny, not-at-home
something about the house as he ratified his key
In the lock and turned the knob with q reckless.
OH-hand air. AS he pounded through the hall the
eenoes sounded through the house, and the Lght
from the open door frightened away several dark
that stood huddled together In the passage
ana made them crowd further back in the deserted
back tine shutters with bang and gave the spring
Shades jerk that rolled them up 70 the highest
Possibility. Then lac went all through the house
II tie kitchen, tine cellar all the bedrooms and
closets, set the water running IN the bathroom,
and finally settled down IN The parlor, where he
Sat In the best easy chair and smoked three cigars
Then II began 10 get dull. He went to the refrig-
orator, and, with q manly Independence, took the
cod meat and bread In his fingers and dipped his
up the week before. When the darkness had set In
he went upstairs TO put on his best clothes. He
stumbled over something on tine floor, and made q
remark more abrupt than polite. Then he stopped
quickly and picked up
SIX PAIR o. SHOES,
ranging from the wee baby-feet TO the scuffed out
school size. There was sort OF tenderness In the
way he stood there looking at those little empty
shoes, and he looked q little lonely he put them
In the closet and said TWO or three times that
He almost broke down when he saw strange
wire desice, like dog muzzie, hanging by long
awful,y quiet about the house, and after smoking
another cigar Ii the parOr be put on bis best hat
ioas time since he had oreaIhed the air Of free
dom. The sudden change from being account
able 70 the mother OF ten children flour dead and
and destroying general commissary stOreO TO q
state OF perfect freedom, with wife and children
an In the country, 80 miles away, quite be-
wiloered him for the moment. He stood on the
curb looking up and down the street and up into
the face OF the deserted house, like q pigeon just
S he sos
think now high he might ny.
LOOKING Up TIE OLD BOYS.
He thought or Townboy and Jones; how they
used 70 have jolly time at the club years ago
He would have them celebrate his release from
bondage: The smile orosdened over his face as
he thought OF IL, and he cut q p1geOn-wing IN
front Of his own doorstep! But Jones had gone
away with his family, aud Townboy was sitting
spanEsd the Two small boys, who had Just returned
from an unauthorized nshing excursion Timothy
Slogo Freeman Was disappointed. but he felt q
Of e2endence-Fourth-of-juiy feeling In his
soul as he compared his present condition with
~ ssse aa q he ss cap
had not been there for years. and faint echo OF
the ciink OF glasses and The rattle Of chips
reached his ears Through the dread waste Of time.
Poor Townboy and poor Jones!
At THE Clue.
he listened for the merry making Of ''the boys
Is he passed the noddtng porter at the door. II
was all quiet and strange. He guessed he was q
little early; he had got 80 confOundedly In the
habit OF being early since his residence with Mrs
Freeman! Pshaw! he must get out OF that. Tnai
would DO for TownbOy Or Jones! He ordered q
bottle OF beer al starter, and sat down TO wal,
In the course OF half en- hour two young men
dropped la aud began conversation about the
"swe.i girls" at the seashore, and OF how the
whole town was out OF town. In another half
hour two portly gentlemen came in and began the
discu=Slos OF politics over q bottle Of mineral
water. As he strOiied out under the gas lamps
Timothy slogo Freeman thought upon the
changes that hfteen Years can bring about,
and kept their families In town ali sum-
mer. He stood for fifteen minutes on the
corner watching the street cars 20 by. Then he
Etrolled down town through the hotel loubieS
There were the Judges and the majors and The
colonies druwsing on the seats and . little group
OF strangers taking OF the weather, while the
night clerk wrote names In the register to make
showing against the coming OF the late reporter OF
"PerSOnala" There was nobody he knew; Zone OF
the "cOys" OF his day. He was pub0ilnH over with
bis liberty; lie wanted TO give some Wild expires
sion 70 his Delight, but no one entered into the
spirit OF IL. They did not seem TO know that here
WAS man just set free-that his vie was out Of
town
ONE OF NE OLD BoYa
friends were there. One man was leaning 1t an
extrIyagant angie, with his hands cling1ng TO the
bar, while his body swayed to and fro with loose
unsteady motion. As the pleasure seeker entered
he looked up with Isltering eye and waved one
hand over hls head
'Hic-hic-hoO-pa-iah! Aia this fun:"
Then be sprawled over on the fo0r, and rolled
mp In q bail.
.He's gone, /" said the bartender, laconically.
"f1fteen years ago" he added. shat man was
one Of the Joii;est fellows you ever saw. There
'em all. All gone now. Married or dead,
The pseasure-seeker looked at the bloated face
and went out. He wandered along the streets
alone, stopping now and then In some ''gtlded
palace" II was awfuily quiet about town.
THE FINAL SCENE.
As the last car passed down, and the black and
1ngy '.uight-linerso began 70 creep out from d,rt